Balsamic Braised Beef Brisket with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Brisket is the cut of meat from the lower chest or breast area. Being one of the tougher cuts of beef, it is ideal for braising. Braising usually consists of searing meat at a high temperature first followed by simmering at lower temperatures in a covered pot with some liquids for flavor and moisture. This process breaks down the connective tissue found in these cuts resulting in meat that is tender and juicy.  We got this recipe from home cooking expert Peggy Trowbridge Filippone who reminds us that 40 cloves of garlic is not as scary as it sounds. She’s right; roasting the garlic for hours created a tasty nutty flavor with a subtle hint of garlic.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 tablespoons Olive This! Single Varietal EVOO
• 1 beef brisket (about 5-6 pounds)
• Kosher salt
• freshly-ground pepper
• 40 large cloves of garlic, peeled (this is about 3 to 4 heads of garlic, or save some time and use the pre-peeled garlic cloves)
• 1 large or 2 small to medium red onion
• 1/4 cup Olive This! Traditional Balsamic (or Olive This! Mission Fig Balsamic)
• 2 to 3 cups beef or chicken broth
• 2 teaspoons dried crushed oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Rinse brisket and pat dry with paper towels. Salt and pepper both sides liberally.

In a large Dutch oven, heat the two tablespoons of EVOO until almost shimmering. Lay the brisket into the heated oil fat-side down. Sear both sides of the brisket until browned. When done, transfer the brisket from the Dutch oven to a platter.

While the brisket is searing, chop the red onions. Cut them in half lengthwise and the chop crosswise. Separate the half-rings.

After transferring the brisket to a platter, add the onions and cloves of garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, for about 5-7 minutes or until the garlic starts to brown and the onions soften.

Add the ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar and stir for about 60 seconds to deglaze the Dutch oven (scraping up the flavorful brown bits from the bottom). Add the broth, dried basil and oregano. Return to a simmer then turn off the heat.

Move the onions and garlic cloves to one side of the Dutch oven. Lay the brisket back into the Dutch oven fat-side up. Spoon the onions and garlic cloves on top of the brisket, cover and place the Dutch oven into the 350-degree oven for about an hour. After 1 hour, baste the brisket, reduce the oven temperature to 325 degrees and bake an additional 1½ to 2 hours until the brisket is fork-tender. Add more broth or water if the liquid evaporates too quickly.

When done, transfer the brisket to a platter, tent with foil to keep warm and let rest for 10 minutes. Meanwhile prepare your gravy. Skim any excess oil from the gravy and discard. Use an immersion blender to puree the gravy, onions and garlic until smooth (alternatively, if you don’t have an immersion blender, transfer to a regular blender and puree). If you prefer chunks of onion and garlic in your gravy, remove about half of the garlic cloves and onions before pureeing. Transfer the pureed gravy to a bowl or gravy boat. If you reserved garlic cloves and onions, add them back to the gravy.

Cut the brisket across the grain diagonally and place on a serving platter. Spoon gravy over the slices of brisket and serve immediately passing extra gravy on the side.

MAKES 8-10 SERVINGS

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